Shoe form



oct. 14,1930. J. s. HANSEN 1,778,594

SHOE FORM Filed Aprii 27.1925

Patented Oct. 14, 1930 uma sTATEs PATENT oFrlcE JOHN S. HANSEN,DECEASED, LATE OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, BY ELWINE Gr. HANSEN,EXECUTRIX, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO O. A. MILLER TREEINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE SHOE FORMApplication filed April 27, 1925. Serial No..26,111.

This invention relates to shoe trees and stretchers and is illustratedas embodied in a tree to be used for keeping shoes in shape duringperiods when they, are not being worn.

It is commercially important that such forms be inexpensive and, inorder to secure the requisite quantity production of eachV size of form,the number of differentsized articles corresponding to a line Vof sizesand widths of shoes mustbe very small. Accordingly, and in orderV thatthe use of such forms may be economical to the purchasers,

the same form or tree should serve for numerous diiferent styles andsizes of shoes. In view of these considerations, such=a form should beadjustable for length and should have a considerable range of expansionin its forepart. YSuch forms or trees are therefore often found providedwith a split expansible forepart which is operated by throwing alongitudinally expanding toggle which unites the forepart and the heelpart: the length adjustment being advantageously secured by making thistoggle adjustable in length.

A considerable number of devices vfor expanding the forepart membershave appeared. They generally involve a pair of toggle links connectingthe forepart member to the operating member, or a plate with convergingslots operating on pins in the forepart members, orl vice versa. Suchdevices have all failed to give satisfaction, because, among otherreasons, they do not provide for keeping the forepart members inalinement; they separate them, it is true, but there is nothing toprevent one forepart member from running into the shoe ahead of theother, and remaining so relatively displaced. This sort of performancefrequently occurs and pulls the shoe out of shape.

Tt has been attempted to vmeet this difficulty by inserting a wire nailhorizontally transversely in the toe ends of the forepart members, thehead end of the nail being slidable in its forepart member. Thisconstruction, however, often sticks and gives a great deal of trouble. Y

It is a principal object of the invention to overcome this and otherdiiculties, by the provision of means for holding the forepart membersin proper alinement at all times, so

that they willl aways move evenly into the shoe. As disclosed, thismeans comprises a plate attached to the forepartY members soas toprevent relative longitudinal displacement, and cooperating A'with thetoggle member to maintain the proper alinement.-

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvedadjustable toggle mechanism for expanding the tree. A feature of theinvention in this aspect consists in an adjustable pivot pin for the.toggle having a rebentend engageable with any one of a plurality ofnotches in the side of a slot in a toggle link along which the mainbody7 of the pin is movable.

These and other features ofthe invention comprising certain combinationsand arrangements of parts will be understood from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes ofillustration and shown inthe accompanying drawings in Which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tree.

Fig. 2 is avertical `section on the plane indicated by 2-2 in Fig. `1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line Fig. lis a vertical sectionon the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the toggle unlocked. Y j

Fig. 6 shows the two plates used in the tree.

The forepart is split into two members 10 by a vertical longitudinalcut. The inner faces of these members are slotted at 12 and cut away at14 to receive the operating means. These means comprise a spreader plate16 having atv its forward end a pair of forwardly converging slots 18each engaginga pin 20 in one of the forepart members 12. It is clearthat projecting the plate 16 forward and backward will spread andretract the forepart members respectively.

In a hole 22 at the rear end of the plate 16 is pivotally mounted thefront end of the toggle link 24. This link is punched and slotted at itsfront end as at 26 to receive the tongue which lies to the rear of thehole 22, and the slot is then pounded shut in assembling the device.

The link 24 is slotted as at 28, and the bottom of the slot is extendedin a number of semi-circular depressions or notchesl 30. The link 24 isembraced bv a sleeve 32 arranged to slide along it. The sleeve lit-s thelink 24 vertically, but provides an opening about twice as thick as thelink 24, and is open at one side of its bottom, as at 34.

The sleeve carries a pin 3G which is rebent` upon itself at 38, and canslide back and forth laterally through the sleeve, the holes inthe sidesthereof fitting the single and the double portions respectively of thepin. A spring 40 restino against the sleeve and the head 4l of the pintends to push the pin to the right in Fig. 4. The main part of the pinis in alinement with the slot 28. and the rebent part with the notches30. llVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig'. 4, the sleeve 32is locked on the link 24: when l the pin is thrown to the left as inFig. 5,

the portion 38 slides out of the notch 30 and the sleeve can be adjustedback and forth on the link to set the pin into another of the notches30.

A second toggle link 42 is pivoted on the pin 36 inside the sleeve,beside the link 24, and is permitted to swine; downwardly around the pinas shown in Fig. l through the opening' 34. It can swing); upwardlyaround the pin to a slight extent before coming in contact with theupper side of the sleeve, the pin hole in the link 42 being somewhatabove center in order to effect this. The heel part 44 is fastened tothe rear end of the link 42.

The pin 3G being in any desired position of adjustment, the device isinserted in the shoe with the forepart members closed together and thetoggle bent with the heel part down in the heel end of the shoe, and thestraightening of the toggle forces the forepart into the shoe andspreads it. The link 42 can swing 'upwardly beyond alinement with thelink 24 sufficiently to bring the pivot Vpin 36 below the linejoiningthe outside ends of the toggle links so that the device will stayin pla-ce under pressure. The length of the toggle can be adjusted tothe shoe by putting the pin 36 into the proper notch 30. A thumb piece46 is provided on the sleeve to assist in throwing thel toggle.

So far nothing; has been described which will prevent the forepartmembers having a dissimilar or uneven movement when the tree is forcedinto the shoe, and the means for accomplishing' this result forms animportant feature of the invention.

This means, in the embodiment of the invention shown, consists of aplate 48 having a longitudinal slot 5,0. at its rear end and two tansverse slots 52 in its forward portion. rlhe pins 2O pass through theslots and the link 24, which is here formed as a vertical "at plate,plays in the slot 50. lhe link and plate can turn relatively in avertiftal plane and. slide relatively in a horizontal plane, but nosubstantial horizontal relative rotation is possible. 'llhus the pins 20will always be kept on a line perpendicular to the link 24, though thedistance of this lino from tne end of the link will vary the pins aremoved toward and from each other by the advance and retraction of thelink 24 and spreader plate i6. The forepart members can thus pivot aboutthe centers of the pins 2O as they are separated to lit the contour ofthe shoe. but are always he] d in transverse alinement, since neitherpin 20 can get ahead of the other. In ot ier words the horizontalorientation of the forepart members relatively to the heel part.

preserved.

Haring described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to besecured by Letters Patent of the United States if l. A shoe treecomprising a forepart and a heel part and a toggle mechanism connectingthem comprising two flat links side by side` a sleeve embracing theiradjacent ends, and a pivot pin mounted in the sleeve and pivoted in oneof the links and adjustable along` the other link.

2. A shoe tree comprising a forepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connecting them ctnnmising,r two flat links side by side, asleeve sliding' along' one of the links, and a pin mounted in the sleevearranged for adjustable conneetion to the lastnnentioned link, the otherlink being pivoted to the pin.

3. A shoe tree comprising a forepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connecting; them comprising two flat links side b v side, oneof said links having a longitudinal slot with notches on one side of it,and a pin the slot with a rebent end arranged to enter one of thenotches, the second link being pivoted to the pin.

4. A. shoe tree comprising a forepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connectingr them comprisingv two flat links side by side, oneof said links having a longitudinal slot with notches on one side of it,and a sleeve sliding alone; this link carrying,` a pin slidabletransversely through it, the pin passing through the slot and having arebent end engaging a said notch and being removable from said notch byslidingthe pin in the sleeve, the second toggle link being pivoted tothe pin.

5. A shoe tree comprising; a forepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connectinfr them comprisin., two flat links side by' side, oneof said links havin 0; a longitudinal slot with notches on one side ofit, and a sleeve sliding alone; this link carrying a pin slidabletransversely through it, the pin passing through the slot and having arebent end engaging a said notch and being removable from said notch bysliding the pin inthe sleeve, the second toggle link being pivoted t thepin, the sleeve encircling the links er;- cept a point below the secondlink..

6. A shoe tree comprising a orepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connecting them comprising two flat links side by side, one ofsaid links having a longitudinal slot having one side straight and theother side plurally notched, and a pin in the slot with a rebent endarrangedto enter one of the notches, the second link being pivoted tothe pin.

7. A shoe tree comprising a forepart and a heel part and a togglemechanism connecting them comprising two ilat links side by side, one ofsaid links having a longitudinal slot having one side straight and theother side plurally notched, and a pin with a rebent end in the slot,the rebent end of the pin being arranged to enter one of the notches andthe body of the pin being arranged to slide along the straight side ofthe slot.

8. A shoe tree comprising a forepart and a,

heel partand a toggle mechanism connecting them comprising two Hat linksside by side, one of said links having a. longitudinal slot having oneside straight and the other side plurally notched, and a pin with arebent end in the slot, the rebent end of the pin being arranged toenter one of the notches and the body of the pin being arranged to slidealong the straight side of the slot, the rebent end of the pin beingdisengageable from the notch by virtue of longitudinal movement of thepin.

9. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental forepart members,and means for spreading the forepart members and for maintaining theirhorizontal orientation relatively to the heel part.

10. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental forepartmembers, means for spreading the forepart members, and a member formaintaining their horizontal orientation relatively to the heel part.

ll. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental orepart members,means for spreading the forepart members, a pin in each forepart member,and means engaging the pins to maintain the horizontal orientationof theforepart members relatively to the heel part.

l2. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental forepartmembers, means for spreading the forep art members comprising a toggle,a pin in each forepart member, and means for keeping the pins on a lineperpendicular to the toggle.

18. A shoe tree having a heel part and two eomplemental forepartmembers, means for spreading the forepart members comprising a toggle, apin in each forepart member, and a mentioned arm and said slider,

plate engaging the pins and the toggle constructed and arranged to keepthe pins on a line perpendicular to the toggle.

la. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental forepartmembers, means for spreading the orepart members comprising a toggle, apin in each,forepareJ member, and a plate engaging the pins 'andl-.aving a longitudinal slot its rear end engaging'the toggle.

l5. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental torepartmembers, means for spreading the forepart members comprising a toggle, apin in tach forepart member, a plate having opposite transverse slotsengaging the pins permitting movement of the pins toward and from eachother to spread the orepart members, and a longitudinal slot at its rearend slidably engaging the toggle.

16. A shoe tree having a heel part and two complemental forepartmembers, a pin in each orepart member, a spreader plate engaging thepins, a toggle mechanism connecting the spreader plate and the heel partfor spreading the forepart members, and a second-plate having collinearslots engaging the pins respectively, and having also a slot at its rearend slidably engaging the toggle mechanism to hold the collinear slotsperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tree.

17. A shoe tree comprising a forepart and a heel part and atogglemechanism connecting them comprising two liat links side-byside,one of said links having a slot with alternate enlarged and reducedportions, a member embracing the adjacent ends of the links, and a pivotpin mounted in the member, pivoted in the unslotted link and adjustablealong the slot in the slotted link. y

18. A toggle mechanism for a shoe tree comprising two flat linksarranged side-byside with end of each adjacent an end of the other, oneoi said links having a slot with alternate enlarged and reducedportions, a sleeve embracing the adjacent ends of the links, and a pivotmember having an enlarged and a reduced portion corresponding to thesaid portions of the slot, respectively, said pivot member being mountedin the sleeve, pivotally mounted in the link not described as slotted,and extending through the slot in the slotted link.

19. A toggle joint for shoe trees comprising an arm provided with a slothaving alternate enlarged and reduced portions, a slider on said arm, apivot member provided with an enlarged and 'a reduced section support-edon said slider and extending through said slot, an arm pivoted on saidpivot member guided for pivotal movement by said iirst and a springnormally holding the enlarged section of said pivot member in anenlarged portion of said slot, the parts being so proportioned andarranged that said slider together with said.

pivot member and Said pvoted arm are movable along said slot only whenthe reduced portion of Said pvot member is moved into Said slot- Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELVVINE G. HANSEN,

Ewecutrim of the Will of fo/m S. HansenI Dec@ rSed.

